Electric railway-signal



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- L. FINGER.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 300,238. Patented June 10, 1884.

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ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL. No. 300,238. Patented June 10, 1884.

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' L. FINGER.

ELEGTRIO RAILWAY SIGNAL. No. 800,238. Patented June 10, 1884.

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ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

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LOUIS FIXGER, OF MELROSE, MASS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HANLON ELECTRIC SIGNALOOMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,238, dated June 10, 188%.

Application filed September 27, 1683. (No modeLi To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis FINGER, of Melrose, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Electric Railway Signals, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to that class of electric signals known as railway-signals, and has for its object to provide a simple and effective mechanism to be operated by an electric battery of comparatively small power, whereby a visual signal may be operated by closing an electric circuit at any desired point to display either a safety or a danger signal.

The invention consists in a rotary signal combined with an electric circuit having a battery and a circuit-closer, an electromagnetic motor having independent divisions or sections, and switching devicesmhereby successive closures of the circuit are caused to energize the sections of the motor alternately, and thereby cause the signal to alternately display. a danger and a safety color.

The invention also consists in the provision of an automatic locking device to secure the signal in each position, and automatic means for unlocking or releasing the signal when the circuit is closed.

The invention also consists in the provision of means for ringing a bell when the signal is being operated.

. The invention also consists in an improved circuitcloser adapted to indicate by its position the position of the signal.

My devices are illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of my apparatus with the protectingcase cut away to show the mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation as viewed from the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line X Y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line V, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detached section. Fig. 7 is a diagram of the connections. Figs. 8 and 9 represent, respectively, top and sectional views of a circuit-closer. Fig. 10 represents an arrangement of the circuit which may be employed when the circuit is closed by the movement of a train of cars. v Fig. 11 represents an arrangement of the circuit which may be employed when the circuit is closed by the movement of aswitch-rail in the track.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A is the foundation upon 1 which the apparatus is supported, while B is a soft-iron post, to which are secured the electromagnets O O, which are provided with segmental polar extensions 0 0, arranged to form nearly a complete circle, but not in actual contact with each other. These magnets are really two U-magnets,with a common yoke, which is the soft-iron base B.

Secured to base B is an upright, D, having near its upper end a bracket, E, the horizontal portion of which serves to support an ebonite shelf, F, and as a bearing for the upper end of a vertical shaft, G, which has a visual signal attached to it, adapted to display different colors or signals when in different positions. Said shaft has its lower end formed as a pivot supported in a step or hearing inbase B, and turning freely therein. Said shaft has firm ly secured to it asoft-iron bar, H, which forms a yoke for the helices it, which are provided with cores and with segmental extensions thereof, h, the whole forming a double-branched electro-magnet, the poles of which revolve as close as possible to the poles of magnets O 0, above described. The fixed magnets O Cand rotary magnet 72. constitute an electromagnetic motor having independent sections or divisi0nsviz., the fixed magnets G C. A disk, I, secured to shaft G, is provided with four notches, 2' in its upper face, near the periphery. Pawls jj, Figs. 1,2, and at, are arranged to drop by gravity into said notches and prevent any motion of said disk and shaft G. Said pawls are secured to an armature, J, which is arranged to be attracted by an electro-magnet, K, secured to bracket E. The armature J is secured to a lever, J, which is pivoted at it to the vertical arm of bracket E. The action of magnet K raises pawls j out of notches i and leaves shaft G free to revolve.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6, L is a metallic ring turning easily on shaft G and between fixed collars g g. Said ring has a horizontal arm, 2 the outer extremity of which is turned vertically upward and formed as an arc of a circle, which has shaft Gfor its center. A piece of ebonite, Z atfixed to said arm, forms a continuation of the circle'for a little distance on each side of the end of said arm, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6 m m. are contact-springs pivoted at one end to studs n 12, their free ends being pressed against the circular face of the armi or its ebonite extensions by springs m m The arrangement of the apparatus is such that when one of said springs rests on the arm i the other spring must rest on the ebonite. The studs n n are secured in and insulated by the shelf F, and have their lower ends formed as binding-posts a if. The lower part of collar ghas a circular flange, 9 This flange is cut away for a quadrant of its'circumference, as shown at 9 Fig. 6, and astud, Z, fixed in ring L, projects up into this space, and is arranged to be engaged and moved near the end of a quarterturn of shaft ,G; by the ends of said flange, thereby moving arm 23 and causing it to rest in contact with one of springs m on, accordingly as shaft G may have turned to the left or the right. It will be seen that this arrangement is simply a two-point switch arranged to be moved by shaft G, and is so connected with magnets O O that when the rotary magnet h h is directly over the fixed magnet C O, as shown, switch-arm 2' will be so moved that a current passing will energize the magnet 0 0, but not the magnet (J O, the reverse being the case when magnet 71. it rests over magnet G C. Y In describing the operation we will suppose the shaft G to be iii-position to display awhite or safety signal.

Referring to diagram of connection, Fig. 7, r is a circuit-closeradapted to close a circuit consisting of battery I, wire I, together with said circuit-closerr, magnet h, wire 4, magnet 0 0, spring m, arm 13, thence by shaft G and the frame of the instrument, and wire 2, and back to battery P. As magnet h h is resting withits polesdirectly over those of magnet O O, which are inactive, the attraction of magnet O O by the closure of the circuit will tendto turn magnet h h so as to bring its poles directly over those of magnet G O, the winding of the helices of the respective magnets being such as to produce such attractive effect. In order'that shaft G may be free'to revolve under these circumstances, a branch circuit by wire 3 is carried through magnet K, as shown, thehelices of said magnet being wound 1 to sufficiently high resistance relatively to the resistance of magnet 71. h, combined with either magnet O C or O O,'to divert a'comparatively small portion of the current, but enough to cause the attraction of magnetK to actuate armature J and raise pawls j out of notches i Shaft G now revolves a quarter-turn, and is thus caused to display a red or danger signal, its further motion being prevented by stops 1; i, which limit its-motion by striking the ends of pawls When the circuit is broken,

pawls 9' will fall into notches 12 and lock shaft Gin the position last'named. The apparatus may be now restored to its original position by again operatingthe circuit-closer. The circuit will now consist of battery I, wire 1, key

1', magnet h, magnet C, and spring m, as the movement of shaft G, last described, will have moved armi to make contact with said spring.

From thence the circuit will take the same paths as before, and cause the unlocking and moving of shaft G a quarter-turn back to its former position. The circuit closer 0* may be located in astation or office, and is preferably a lever pivoted so as to swing horizontally over asegmental contact-plate, 1", which is of such length as to insure a sufficient length of contact to effect the required movement of the shaft G, the

- lever'rbeing in rubbing-contact with the plate 1* while it is being moved to close the circuit. Rests 1 T of insulating material, are provided at the ends of the'plate r, on one orthe other of which the lever a" rests when the circuit is broken. The lever r is provided with an enlargement, T at its rear end, which is painted in different colors, one end being red, the other end white, and the intermediate port-ion some contrasting colorsay black. A casing or cover, w, is placed over the lever, and has an orifice, r over the colored end of the lever 1. When the lever has been moved across the contact-plate to cause the circuit to be closed through the magnet O and display the danger-signal, the red portion of said lever will be visible through the orifice T and when said lever has been moved in the opposite direction the white portion will be visible. The

condition of the signal is thus indicated by the position of the lever r. I do not, however,,limit myself to this form of circuit-closer. If desired, a circuit-closer adapted to be operated by the passage of a train of cars may be employed, and a similar circuit-closer should be provided at asuitable distance away, so that the train may again close the circuit and set the signal to safety on the wellknown blook-signal system. (See Fig. 10.)

The circuit-closer may be adapted to be operated by the movement of the switch-rail of a railroad-track.

(See Fig. 11.) In this case.

two circuit-closers may be arranged at opposite sides of the switch-rail, the one being operated to close the circuit when the switchrail is moved from the main track, and the other when the switch-rail is moved back to make the main track continuous.

In Fig. 1 I show a form of signal-light to be operated by the apparatus consisting of alan-' tern, T, secured to and provided with four lenses, t, of colored glass, and adapted to show a danger or red light to approaching trains in the one direction, and a safety-light in the other. body of the lantern of colors corresponding to the lenses. It is obvious, however, that an other suitable form of visual signal may be employed.

The connections of the various magnets, &c., may be made in-any well-known manner; but

I prefer to carry one of the terminals t of mag-.

As a day-signal I prefer to paint the' netKthroughshaft c, said terminal being ini v sulated from the shaft, to a ring, u, which is insulated on shaft G by an ebonitebushing, a as shown in Fig. 5. A contact-arm, a, pressed by a spring, a against said ring, completes the connection to an insulated binding-post, a

In order to indicate in a station or at any desired point the fact that the signal is being operated, I insert in the periphery of flange two pieces of ebonite, as, (see Figs. 3, 6, 7 on one of which the free end of a contact-spring, y, rests when the apparatus is not in action; but while shaft G is in the act of turning the end of said spring will rest on the metallic portion of said flange, and close a circuit through wire 5, battery p, and bell s, which may be placed wherever most desirable. Spring 3 is secured to an insulated stud, 3 formed with the necessary connections.

It is obvious that the bell 8 may be placed in the same circuit with the signal-operating apparatus, instead of in an independent circuit, so that one wire may be used to conduct the current for both purposes.

I do not limit myself to the means above described for locking and releasing the shaft G. Other devices may be employed for releasing the shaft when the circuit is closed, and looking it when the circuit is broken, without departing from the spirit of my invention. Since a prolonged closure of the circuit will be liable to cause the motor to shift its circuit successively from one division of its field-magnet to the other, and thus cause the signal to oscillate and display alternately its danger and safety indicator, means should be employed to prevent more than a single move ment of the signal after each closure. Such means will form the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent.

I claim- 1. In a railway-signaling apparatus, a rotary shaft having a visual signal combined with an electric circuit having a battery and a circuitcloser, an electro magnetic motor having independent divisions or sections, and switching devices, substantially as described, whereby the successive closures of the circuit are caused to energize the sections of the motor alternately, and thereby cause the shaft to alternately display a danger and a safety signal, as set forth.

2. In a railway-signaling apparatus, a rotary shaft having a signal combined with an electric circuit having a battery and a circuitcloser, an electromagnetic motor having independent divisions or sections, switching de vices, substantially as described, whereby said divisions are alternately energized by the successive closures of the circuit, and said shaft is given a partial rotation at each closure of the circuit-locking devices, adapted to normally hold the shaft in different positions, and automatic means for unlocking the shaft when the circuit is closed, as set forth.

8. In a railwaysignaling apparatus, a rotary shaft having a'signal combined with an electric circuit having a battery and a circuit-closer, an electro magnetic motor, and switching devices, substantially as described, whereby the shaft is given a partial rotation at each closure of the circuit, a signal-bell looated in an electric circuit, and means whereby said circuit is broken when. the shaft is in either of its positions of rest, and closed, so as to ring the bell when the shaft is in motion, asset forth.

4.. In a railway-signal, a rotary shaft having a suitable visual signal, combined with an electromagnetic motor composed of two independent sections or fixed magnets, and a rotary armature affixed to said shaft, an electric circuit including a battery; and a circuitcloser, a switch operated by said shaft, whereby the circuit is closed first through the one of said fixed electro-magnets, and then through the other, a locking device which normally locks said shaft in either of two positions, and an electro-magnet included in a branch of the said electric circuit, and adapted to unlock the shaft whenever the circuit is closed through either of said fixed electro-magnets, and there by permit the partial rotation of said shaft, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing wituesses,.this 22d day of September, 1888.

LOUIS FINGER.

Witnesses:

O. F. Bnowx, Gno. \V. ANTHONY. 

